(Sun 11th / 8pm / £5)

UGETSU MONOGATARI
(1953 / Japan / DVD / 94 Mins / Cert PG)

OYU-SAMA
(1951 / Japan / DVD / 94 mins / Cert PG)

(Both Japanese with English Subtitles)

Less well known these days than his contemporaries Akira Kurosawa and Yasijiro Ozu, Mizoguchi is no less an important figure in Japanese movie history. Starting his career as a silent movie actor (playing principally female roles) he quickly rose the ranks to become a director of over 90 feature films, many of which enjoyed great success outside of Japan, including the film we present tonight.

Ugetsu Monogatari [Tales of the Rain and Moon] is a highly acclaimed masterwork of Japanese cinema. Based on a pair of 18th century ghost stories by Ueda Akinari, the film’s release continued Mizoguchi’s introduction to the West, where it was nominated for an Oscar (for Best Costume Design) and won the the Venice Film Festival Silver Lion award (for Best Direction).

Famed for its meticulously orchestrated long takes and its subtle blending of realistic period reconstruction and lyrical supernaturalism, Ugetsu Monogatari is an intensely poetic tragedy that consistently features on polls of the best films ever made.

Also screening is Oyu-sama [Miss Oyu] , a poignant and contemplative tale of two sisters and their ill-fated relationship with the same man.